A rival or a stepping stone?

After the wooden swords broke the two stopped fightings, Kaji and Reinhard just stared at each other without any idea what to do from there.

"Reinhard, can you give me a vial of your blood?" Kaji asked while pulling out a glass vial from his pocket.

"Why do you need my blood?" Reinhard asked, he was puzzled why would anyone want his blood.

"well, I can't tell you why I need it, but I can promise to you, that your blood wouldn't be used to hurt anyone." Kaji said while hoping for the best, he didn't forget to cast an illusion and a sound barrier so others didn't hear what they were talking about, just in case.

"Alright, I believe you, here." Reinhard extended his hand towards the boy.

Kaji didn't know why he just gave his blood to him, but this would help him out a lot. he didn't know why he trusted him, but Kaji spoke only the truth and nothing more, after all, he didn't know all the blessings the guy had so he couldn't be reckless.

"Thanks." Kaji said while creating a small wind bale, to cut Reinhard's palm. Kaji quickly collected the blood in the glass vial. After he was done collecting blood, he used healing magic to heal the boy.

"You can use healing magic? That's amazing!" Reinhard exclaimed while showing a big smile.

Kaji didn't know, how Reinhard could so cheer full after what happened to his mother and grandmother. Two years after his birth, his mother fell into a Sleeping Beauty state, which shook the whole Astrea family to its core. At the age of five, he obtained the title of the Sword Saint after his grandmother Theresia van Astrea passed away during her fierce battle with the Hakugei. The reason for her death was the sudden loss of her Divine Protection of the Sword Saint which mysteriously disappeared midway through the battle, transferring to young Reinhard.

His grandfather, Wilhelm van Astrea, blamed Reinhard for her death, causing their relationship to plummet, leaving only his father who still cared about him. Sadly, his relationship with his father gravely deteriorated as well. After he gained the aforementioned blessing, his father became an alcoholic, and gradually started to blame him for Theresia's death as well; it didn't take long for Reinhard to be despised by his closest family members.

As the strongest individual in the Royal Kingdom of Lugnica, he was forced to join the Royal Guard at the age of fourteen, becoming the strongest weapon in the Kingdom's possession.

That was how everything was supposed to go, but right now Reinhard was just an 11 year old. And even right now he showed a smile, why Kaji didn't know, but how could he understand his feeling, simply he couldn't.

"Reinhard, I don't understand you nor am I stronger than you, but one thing I can promise you. I Kaji will become the strongest Oni this world has ever known, And you will lose to me. It might take me ten maybe twenty years but I will become stronger than any other on this planet." Kaji was burning with the desire to become stronger, but to do so he need enemies to kill, and to train his ass off.

"Then, I will be waiting for you!" Reinhard said while the two shook their hands once more. The two didn't know it but at this moment, some people were looking at them with interest in their eyes.

After some time, Kaji decided to continue walking around, while Reinhard continued to train. Kaji wandered around the place, he didn't care much for anyone else as he explored his surroundings. He continued to wander around but he didn't find anything of interest.

After he was done looking around he returned to the training ground to find Reinhard still training. Kaji decided to continue sparring with him until all of the wooden swords break. The two actually learned from each other even if their fighting styles were different, the two of them only stopped after all of the swords were broken or unusable anymore.

After sparing with Reinhard so many times, Kaji started to realize how stupid broken the guy was. While they crosses swords it was fine, but the moment Kaji reached towards him, with his second wooden sword, he would doge no matter what. From there he could only spar with him, while not going directly for his body, he could only hit his sword, without some sort of blessing kicking in to help Reinhard.

And so time passed by, he was led to a bedroom by a maid who found him in the training grounds. She was sent by Roswall, so Kaji bid his goodbyes to the red-haired youth, before following the maid to his designated room.